But with LucasArts' latest game for the Xbox 360 (MSFT), the beloved franchise spanning 35 years has finally been stripped of its last shred of dignity.

Employing Kinect's motion-capture controller, Kinect Star Wars allows players to use their whole body to control characters within a land far, far away. Whether it's wielding a lightsaber or piloting an X-Wing, the Xbox game is the closest Star Wars fans have to living within George Lucas' imaginative universe.

And apparently, that includes dance-offs.

Yes, along with Jedi training and podracing, players control Han Solo and Princess Leia in a dance competition that's even more absurd than basing an entire prequel around galactic trade disputes. And rather than spinning boring old hits, DJ Lobot -- yeah, Cloud City's got some turntables -- plays songs with a Star Wars twist, like "I'm Han Solo" to the tune of Jason Derulo's "Ridin' Solo" and "Hologram Girl" based on Gwen Stefani's "Hollaback Girl." Incidentally, you haven't lived until you hear Slave Leia coo "Oooh, that's my ship, that's my ship."

Ever since merchandising took precedence over competent storytelling, Star Wars fans have had to contend with an ever-growing corruption of the Star Wars universe. However, by the time the third prequel excreted itself onto the big screen, hope that the ailing franchise would turn itself around for the better greatly diminished. And if the thousands of half-baked parodies and poorly inked tattoos didn't do it, Star Wars Dance Party has put the nail in the coffin of a once-wondrous film universe.

The game was developed by LucasArts, not Microsoft. Microsoft merely provided a platform that the game could be played on. You could no more blame Microsoft for "ruining Star Wars" than you could blame Apple for ruining music because Justin Bieber is available on iTunes.

Well, unless you were pathologically enslaved to a particular brand beyond all capacity for rational thought and were looking for any possible excuse to have a go at even indirect competitors.

The game was developed by LucasArts, not Microsoft. Microsoft merely provided a platform that the game could be played on. You could no more blame Microsoft for "ruining Star Wars" than you could blame Apple for ruining music because Justin Bieber is available on iTunes.

Well, unless you were pathologically enslaved to a particular brand beyond all capacity for rational thought and were looking for any possible excuse to have a go at even indirect competitors.

Aye, doesn't make sense how this is Microsoft's fault. I guess when you're a blind Apple dick rider, everything is their fault.

The game was developed by LucasArts, not Microsoft. Microsoft merely provided a platform that the game could be played on. You could no more blame Microsoft for "ruining Star Wars" than you could blame Apple for ruining music because Justin Bieber is available on iTunes.

Well, unless you were pathologically enslaved to a particular brand beyond all capacity for rational thought and were looking for any possible excuse to have a go at even indirect competitors.